Five Galleons
by LorieMaeLovegood
Summary: 3rd chapter up. Draco should learn, when you're bored, playing games is good. But not when it's with people's hearts. just a challenge, just a game, just a feeling, just a phase, just a silly little girl. R&R if you want it continued xx
1. Chapter 1

Five galleons

Five galleons

"Get away from me Draco Malfoy… I don't want to even smell you ever again. Just stay away… unless of course you want me to permanently destroy your anatomy!" Hermione was sobbing, shrieking down the stairs. People in her dormitory covered their ears, glaring in her direction but not daring to talk to her. Spit was flying from her mouth as her insults increased in fury and complexity.

Hermione slammed the door with the full force she was capable of, and flung herself onto her bed. Almost ripping the moth eaten curtains whilst trying to pull them around her bed. After a small while her sobs grew quieter, and she heard footsteps approaching her bed. She curled into a ball, not even trusting herself to open her mouth to shriek at the intruder to "GO AWAY".

The curtains parted the smallest fraction and Luna peered through.

"h-Hermione?" she spoke in almost a whisper, probably frightened of Hermione's temper flaring again.

"Are… no… do you want to talk? If you want I can go get a snack or something, something chocolate and cream based maybe?" and she opened the curtains wider. Slipping through, she sat on the bed and closed the curtains so that only her knees would have been showing outside.

Hermione sniffed and sat up slowly, rubbing her face.

"no, I don't want anything, thank you Luna… but I'm really not in the mood for anything chocolaty… or anything food-wise come to think of it" her voice was shaky but at least she wasn't shrieking still.

Luna sighed in relief at Hermione's obvious lack of steam and took her trembling hand.

"Hermione… I know you think I'm really weird and all that but… well, I think talking about all this is going to make it just a little better… want to tell me about it?"

Hermione sniffled a little, staring at the strange blonde, and then nodded a little.

Luna's mouth slowly popped open as Hermione retold her story for the third time, first time Ginny, second time mother, and third time bleeding Loony Lovegood.

"You. Are. So. Kidding me… not even Draco would be that cruel, five galleons?! Is that it? Bloody hell I can think of nearly a million guys who would _pay _to go to a dinner with you 'Mione, god if I ever get my hands on that son of a-"

She stopped as she saw Hermione's face, and she gasped.

"You love him?"


	2. Chapter 2

Draco sat, head in hands, in his usual haunt. The largest black leather sofa in the typically freezing Slytherin common room. His friends, or followers being a more accurate label for them, had long given up asking him why he seemed... odd today. He would pale slightly and brush it off as not feeling 'as great', though he knew they could tell something was still wrong.

His head was a violent mess of confusing thoughts that were silent only when he had managed to get a few hours of sleep every so often. The night had been and still was taking far too long to be over.

The hub-cap coins in his pocket seemed to heavy, icy cold too, as if they were weighing him down. It was ridiculous but he felt no satisfaction in having his winnings settled happily into his chest pocket. It also felt ridiculous and childish that he had even agreed to the bet in the first place.

And, for some ridiculously, annoyingly unapparent reason, Hermione's departing words were echoing in his head every so often. Worming their way into his brain to mix with the various confusing thoughts littering his otherwise single-track mind. Her insults had both amused him, and cut him to the bone.

He had seen her scream and curse, he had been punched by her tiny fist, rather sharply, in third year for Merlin's sake. But he had never seen her cry. Never seen her push away her friends. Never seen her look at him with such hatred. And for some insane reason this bothered him more than anything.

The evening seemed to go easy enough. If he could seduce the Granger mud-blood to go to dinner with him, he'd win the bet and be named officially the Slytherin sex-god by Blaise Zabini and his own number of followers. And, of course, a Malfoy never refused a challenge. On top of that he was just a couple of galleons short of buying a new set of Quiditch robes and he couldn't be bothered to wait for his parents to send him his next week allowance. The trip to Hogsmeade was mere days away.

'Oit! Drakey-poo, you comin' or what?'

The others had been trying to get him to come down to dinner, frankly he couldn't care less about the fact his stomach was empty and complaining loudly. Blaise's face crumpled slightly into a scowl, his annoying Pansy impression had failed too. He attempted the 'you will do as you're told for i am bug scary McGonagall, nerr' on the poor unsuspecting Draco. He shrugged and went back to staring at the curious yellow-pale flames in the ornate fire-place.

'Draco, last chance' my supposed girlfriend called out to me. It's not his fault the entire student body decided he and that air head were apparently _meant to be_.

Draco produced this sort of grunt in the back of his throat, very unlike the Malfoy he was, and turned back to the fire. From the corner of his eye he saw Pansy scowl and stalk from the room, not unlike the batty Snape, his darling godfather. If i had eyes on this i'd be rolling them.

Pansy's huff wouldn't last, and Draco brushed it from his shoulders like those annoying specks of dust that turn up on silken robes. It wasn't as frightening as Granger's fury.

Draco had stood in the middle of the Gryffindorks common room staring up at the point which Granger stood screaming profanities at him. She had barged through the painting before it was even fully opened, the fat lady calling indignantly after her, Draco following her closely despite her attempts to lose him.

The surrounding Gryffindors looked on in wonder as the goody-two-shoes of the house lost it, her voice undoubtedly heard throughout the castle.

The evening had gone smoothly of course, Draco was not going to let his standard slacken, even for a mud-blood. A fine candle-lit dinner. A smart shirt but not over-done. Subtle music but not annoyingly romantic or classical, just a sultry voice to guitar.

Granger had arrived blushing, nervous but not frightened, more like eager and fascinated. They had eaten quietly, Draco occasionally dropping compliments into the light conversation, making Hermione blush between sentences.

Blaise had dropped him in it. That was when she began shrieking at him, running from him, even when he had actually followed her to apologise. Since when did the Draco Malfoy apologise? That was when she had explained to her Weaselette best friend in a few short sentences. That was when said Weaselette had landed a solid punch in his face whilst he gaped after the sobbing mud-blood. That was when half the Gryffindor common room had chased him several floors back to his own common room.

And this was where he now sat, hand massaging the sore eye which had been punched in by the ginger mud-blood and her annoying strength behind her tiny limbs.

Why, oh bloody why did he follow her, why, oh why did he feel guilty and why, oh fucking why did he have to agree to the stupid bet in the first place?


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Diary,_

_What happens when you're worst enemy just so happens to be the perfect guy for you? When you don't actually care that he broke your heart because he is still so damn perfect? When your best friends cannot know because all manners of hellish situations would result?_

_Those bloody poets were right, throughout history i never thought they were right. Even Romans got it right before i did, _

_odi et amo; quare id faciam, fortasse requiris;_

_nescio; sed fieri sentio et excrucior._

_Catullus._

_I bet he never thought everyone knew exactly how he felt eh? 'I feel it happen and i'm tormented' Do you realise how excruciating it's been, falling for someone who can never love you in return? Who could never be with you, opposite ends of the spectrum. Oh merlin help me._

_I wonder if there's a charm i can learn which would get rid of this. I don't want to cry. Crying is too,well, teenager-ish. Too obvious, i don't want the entirety of Hogwarts knowing about this. Especially not Harry and Ron. I don't even think Ginny could possibly forgive me._

_Three years watching him, being insulted, hexed half-to-hell by him. _

_I guess only Luna knows, and, seeing as no-one seems to like the sweetheart, i'm guessing n-one would listen to her even if she did try telling. _

_I wish it would go away._

* * *

Hermione placed the quill down on the cabinet beside her bed, the ink bottle carefully capped so as not to ruin the dark wood. A pinkish blossom was sitting in a glass next to her, it was Luna all over. The blond was sitting on the bed opposite, staring not quite blankly at the blossom petals, her dreamy smile playing across her lips. Why no-one had ever asked her out was beyond her, Hermione thought that her expressions could be watched fondly for hours.

But it was no matter. Everyone thought Luna was gay, with her strange acting it was just another thing to add to the list of why she must be avoided. When she made friends with Hermione and Ginny, rumors had spread they were in some strange three-way relationship. No, just best friends.

A black and purple ribbon was twisted in an intricate knot around her hand, she kept twisting it around her fingers, in and out, and around her palm and wrist, whilst she stared endlessly at Hermione's bedside cabinet. Hermione wished she could switch off so quickly. Quieten her brain and focus on one single thing, seeing all the good it in, and feeling good. Hermione's head was never quiet.

Luna's hair glinted in the light as she turned slightly. Like Draco's hair had. The liquid silver laced in gold, a more layered mix than one dull colour. AS Luna's was. Her skin was pale too, but Hermione had noticed the occasional freckle on Draco's otherwise alabaster skin. Her limbs were soft and wiry, as his were. But his were knotted with hard muscles that rippled whenever he moved.

Luna's movements were dreamily graceful, his were too, but he never allowed a dreamy expression to cross his face. Down to earth Malfoys, they were. Good solid stuff.

No, no Hermione didn't think so. Everyone hides something, she could see it under the pink in Luna's cheeks, behind the gray in Draco's eyes. Behind the scar on Harry's forehead. They were all the same.

And Hermione had too. Behind her bushy hair, her tight smile that she pulled up to make her cheeks rosier. Behind her perfect grades and aggravating teeth. She was hiding herself from everyone, and now that she had been hurt, been played by him, everyone would know. She would never be good enough for him. She would get over it, he was nothing to her. Nothing much.

Just a phase. Just a phase.

--*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*--

Hermione's hair looked messier today, and Ginny realised she hadn't tamed it. Her hair was randomly struck through by the still evident marks of a simple muggle hair-brush, the lines contrasting with her hair's usual endless flow. Luna's presence beside her didn't seem any different. Though her face was otherwise as flawless as usual, a single line of worry was laid across her forehead.

'Wotcha, here comes Lu and 'Mione.' Ginny muttered, earning a confused grin from Harry.

Ron gave his sister a weird look, before turning back to Hermione's advancing form. Luna and Ginny had had countless conversations over Ron's blatant obsession with Hermione. When first confronted he denied it, with somewhat too much conviction.

But Ron's eyes never looked anywhere else, never at any girl, nor guy for that matter. Love was such a fickle thing. But no, best friends never shared love. Brotherly, sisterly maybe. But never solid love, nothing like what Ron had swirling in his stomach, behind his eyes and in his skin. No he'll never be good enough for her, but he always hoped.

Maybe one day... no those thoughts only served to depress. Think good things, Quiditch, food, Hagrid maybe? No, no he could never be good enough for her. It was best to stay as it were.

Just a friend, Just a friend.

--

Hermione flopped down at the table, propped between Harry and Ron and began to idly drown a bun in jam. Ignoring the toast and butter she usually reached for. The boys didn't comment. Of course, they didn't notice at all, but the girls did and Luna cast Ginny a worried glance before floating into the seat beside her. She tapped lightly on the table whilst everyone else were filling their stomachs with yet another flawless meal. Her gaze drifting across the hall, over heads, over food, over the cloudless sky overhead.

Once the post came, Luna set about the task of making her way through a plump peach, not inches from her hand in an ornate bowl of fruit. Whilst the boys were poring over the Daily Prophet, Hermione her food, ad the rest of the school their various bits and bobs, Luna bit slowly into the peach. She allowed the juice to dribble across her lips, but no further.

Staring at Ginny,she licked it off and smiled.

Ginny grinned at Luna, their flirtatious actions towards each other were becoming more pronounced each passing week. Nothing had happened of course, but soon people would notice the teasing brushes, the joking banter. It was all a show for them both, life is meant for having fun, but they enjoyed making the boys all turn and look. Well, sometimes.

Just a game. Just a game.

* * *

Draco fixed his gaze on the back of Hermione's head. Giving up after trying to avoid it for half an hour through breakfast. It was normal to feel guilty, right? Not for a Malfoy.

It was just his conscience giving him grief, right? Not for a Malfoy.

And whilst he sat staring at her hair, his heart wrenched at her words. At the way she seemed so much smaller. No it was just a feeling. Just a thing. Yes, a thing that can be easily ignored, passed over and not given any other hint.

Draco turned to Pansy and gave her his best 'seductive smile'. Watched her turn to jelly before gathering herself and beginning to simper. It was boring. The girls came easy, the grades came easy, the money came easy. He was just bored, that's all. Just bored.

Just a challenge. Just a game. Just a feeling. Just a phase. Just a girl.

--*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*--

so? what did you think? i'm trying to up my game and write faster, but my GCSEs are all over my schedule right now so it's a bit hard. as usual. sorry all.

review so i write faster? or ignore it so i drop it? YOU DECIDE (booming voice)

luv luv xx

* * *


End file.
